June 01, 2004
But conceptual art radicalised the idea to an independent entity, with an effect which can still be felt today, not only in art but in the whole culture. And even in the economy. You can even wonder whether branding of objects would have been as successful if conceptual art had not provided a model to follow. A Prada bag is, just like a Broodthaers mussel pot or an anti-dog dress by Alicia Framis, first and foremost the carrier of an idea.
It is concurrently a sign of a discourse about that idea. A discourse that gives meaning to the design, the style, the use of materials and frequently to the idea itself. There’s nothing wrong with that: giving meaning is the nature of art. But what is the position of art when the economy appropriates the same principle? How can art then distinguish itself? Not by isolating itself in the academic discourse of the art world, but by confronting its ideas and ways of giving meaning with those which are decisive for society. In other words, it has to have the courage to engage in ‘unsafe sex’.
Anna Tilroe is a writer and art critic.